Usb To Serial Midi Interface?, any luck -old gear/new computer? Options

[jsegel]

hi, i just got a new computer to replace my dying 9600 that had been my studio computer for years. problem is, i've been using an Opcode Studio 4 for my midi interface - it's a serial interface one. the new G4 has only USB and firewire of course.
has anybody had any luck using a USB to Serial adapter to interface with a serial midi unit? which adapters? i have a belkin one but it doesn't seem to work ( i used it for the 9pin to load programs into a basic X stamp), that is too say OMS doesn't find the interface through it.

any ideas? do i just have to find another $250 for a usb midi interface?

[kaboombahchuck]

I tryed using the belkin serial to usb converter with no success. USB to midi has been fine, but I don't think you have to spend $250, I think the midiman converters are cheeper than that. I use a midiman midisport 2x2. You have firewire which would be the way to go IMHO.

[jsegel]

i just figured out a solution - the stealth G4 Serial port. it costs $50 and fits in the G4 (or they have one for aG3 too) where the modem would be, somethign i opted to forego to begin with.
the company claims that it works with any mac midi device, thank god. that way i can keep the studio 4 -
oh BTW the reason i stated a $250 price to geta usb interface is that i'm talking about the 8x8s. i use several outboard midi things and a few different comtrollers. all the usb 8x8s are $300 plus..

[formatj]

Just thought I'd let you know that the Stealth G4 port definitely does work with a Studio 4. I have had one working before with no problems.
I'm not sure how this will work under OS X if you are planning to eventually go that way.
As OMS won't exist under OS X companies have to write their own Core MIDI drivers for their interfaces and Opcode is no longer a company so therefore no MIDI driver!?

[gdoubleyou]

From another forum that I frequent, Doug Wyatt current Apple employee, and coder for OMS sez OSX core midi does not support seriel port Midi.

Don't know if the g-port people will have a workaround.

[damann]

griffin technologies products work just fine!

[jsegel]

From another forum that I frequent, Doug Wyatt current Apple employee, and coder for OMS sez OSX core midi does not support seriel port Midi.

hmm. i guess that's just because they aren't using that particular hardware on their new models, only USB --BUT.... isn't there some issue with the fact that USB does a sort of polling for events whereas straight serial ports are on a handshake protocol, hence less latency on them? i know there's all sorts of gadgetry cooked into many of the present USB midi devices to try to lower latency that comes from this event polling protocol...
mLAN? firewire midi in OS X? USB 2.0?

BTW i got the G4 stealth serial port, installed in seconds and it speaks to the Studio 4 just fine, (OS 9.2.2, OMS 2.3.8)
Yay!

[nook]

I got a keyspan USA-28X serial-usb between my imac 500, OS9.1, and my studio4, and it works. But the auto-detect didn't work, I had to do it manually. Maybe try to make a manual install with your belkin before.
If you're using OS9, be sure to have OMS 2.3.8.